Inhaler.



V. E. RANDALL.

INHALER.

APPLIQATION FILED SEPTA, 1906.

928,884. Patented July zo, 1909.

' UINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`VICTOR E, RANDALL, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

INHALER.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented July 2o, 1909.

Application led September 4, 1906. Serial No. 333,034.

This mvention relates to inhalers in which a stem is provided for'the reception of absorbent cotton, or `e uivalent, upon which liquid medicines mayclie placed, and through evaporation kof the saine by ingeniously-ar ranged air-passages may be drawn through the breathing passages of the mouth and nostrils into the lungs for the alleviation and cure of nasal catarrh, colds in the head, hoarscness, sore throat, bronchitis and kindred affections of the lungs, bronchial tubes and head.

Among other objects, I provide an inhaler whereby the air currents may )ass over the medicament` from either end o the inhaler, thereby rendering the inhaler perfectly sanitary and cleanly for the treatment of both throat and nasal ailments without contaminating the mouth-piece with the nostril extremity, and vice versa, as is often resorted to with some inhalers; whereby the medicament will not evaporate when the inhaler is closed; wheieby a Ametallic cap adapted to.

cover 011e end of the. inhaler when closed, may be used on the mha-ler when the same 1s open, without laying aslole or mlsplacmg said cap or cover; whereby the inhaler will be tasty in design, simple in construction, eflicacious in operation and cheap and inexpensive to manufacture.

In the draWin s forming a part of this specification, in W lich like marks of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views, Figure 1 is' a lon itudinal'sectional vieW of my improved i ialer, closed. Fig.- 2 is a longitudinal sectional view with the nostril assage open. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, with the metallic cap slipped over the nasal extremity and the mouth passage open. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal perspective, with the cap removed. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the hne az, x, of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is an end` view of the inhaler from the mouth extremity, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the metallic cap or cover.

In the drawings the arrows indicate air passages.

The inhaler may be constructed from any desirable material, such as gutta percha or vulcanized rubber, the cap or cover being made from aluminum or other non-corrosivev material. All told, the inhaler comprises but three parts, viz., the barrel or container, A, a plug, comprising a mouth-piece and a medicament retamer, and a cap or cover,'0.

rihe barrel or container has longitudinallyarranged grooves, 1, intersecting an annular rib, 2, near the rear portion thereof, and is provided at the nostril extremity with a tapered portion having an air-passage, 3, the op osite end of the barrel having longitudina grooves, 4, the same being interiorly threaded and adapted to receive the plug, B. This plug has an outer mouth extremity, 5, provided with cross-grooves, 6; a cylindrically-threaded ortion, 7, adapted to screw into the barrel A an imperforate stem, 8, forming a spool upon which absorbent cotton, or equivalent material, 9, may be Wound; a tapering inner end, 10, adapted to be seated Within and closetheair-passage, 3, of the ta ered barrel portion When the inhaler is c osed; an air-passage, 11, opening at the mouth extremity and bisected at its inner end by air-passages, 12, opening about the stem, 8, Within the inhaler above the absorbent placed on said stem', as shown; the stock between the neck of the mouthpiece, 5, and the' threaded portion, 7, forming an annular cross-grooved rib, 13, adapted to abut the barrel, A, When the inhaler is closed.

In operation, the plug, B, is unscrewed from the barrel, A, and liquid medicament is placed upon the absorbent material, 9; the plug, B,h aving the stem, 8, carrying said. medicament, is thence reinserted and the plug, B, partially screwed therein so that the tapering end, 10, Will not close the air-passage, 3, of the container. Should thev user desire to employ the inhaler-for the nasal passages, and retainthe cap or cover, C, thereon, he Will iit the cover over the mouthpiece, 5, as shown in Fig. 2; iin this position, as air is drawn vthrough the nostrils it Will enter the inhaler at the intersection of the open end of the-cap, C, and the grooves, 4,

and pass through the grooves 6 of the'mouththe medicated absor -lung affections, or to exhale medicament through the head by the way of the mouth and nostrils and retain the cap or cover, C, he will fit the cover over the nostril or tpered extremity of the inhaler, as shown in ig. 3;

in this. position as air is drawn into` the mouth, it will enter the inhaler 'at the open end of the cover, C, through the grooves', 1, of the barrel and the rib, 2, pass alon the barrel, A, and enter the inhaler throug 'the passage 3, whence it will pass over Athe medicament placed on the absorbent, 9, into the passages, 12, to the assage 11, and out into the mouth. It will e obvious that the cap or cover, C, is non-essential to the o eration of the inhaler, the provision o the grooves 1, 4 and 6, being merely to allow air to enter the inhalerat either end thereof arranged aperture or opening upon which it may be vplaced when the'inhaler-is in operative position, to avoid laying the cover aside or misplacing the same.

When the inhaler is not in use, the parts A, and B are screwed together as shown in Fig. 1, by which means the plu 10, will close the passa e, 3, at the nostr' extremity. The cap, is then placed over the mouth extremity and slid on to the inhaler to the rib, 2, by which means the open end of the mouth-piece will be closedv and the blank* portion, 14, of the barrel be covered, preventing the eva eration ofthe medicament escaping. The ocation of the rib 2 is such that when the cap C is placed on the tapered extremity of the inhaler it will not close the same, and that when placed over the mouthpiece,A 5, it will hermetically'seal the inhaler Y when the same is screwed shut, but withdraw from the rib and uncover the grooves, 4, at the open 'end of the barrel, A, when unscrewed to let air-into the inhaler. In both opening and closing the inhaler the unscrewing of the parts, 'A and B, has no bearing whatever inthe regulation of air passing to and from the inhaler at its jointed parts, as is often the case with inhalers, the unscrewing of the parts being to regulate the passa e of air through the inhaler llrmgitudinalgly thereof and not in any circumferentially- Having, therefore, desc'ri ed my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1 In an inhaler, in combination an o ened barrel having one ta ering end, of a c osure for one end thereo comprising a mouthpiece having a central air passage and an imperforate stem terminating in a plug for the opposite end, and air passages leading from said central air passage to the circumference of said stem, as and for the purpose set forth.

lplug is removed -from t osa-64 A ended barrel or container having one tapered forming amouthieee aving a centralA airpassage, a centra y-enlarged 'ortion adaptv ed to fit wlthm the larger en of said barrel an outer portion and arr-inner reduced portion forming a spool adapted to receive medicated absorbent, airpass'agesleadin'g- :from the circumference of said vI nedicated absorbent through said enlargedpoition'to said central air-passage, the inner'pnd of said spool forming a lugladaptedtoclose the end Aof the tapered ortion of said-barrel'when said plug is force to a seat within said barrel, anda cover adapted to .close-the enlar elfend of said barrel and inclose 'said inout ,-'piece andf hermetically seal the air passage in said mouth-piece when said plug is forced '-to a seat and to open the air passage within said mouthpiece when said l from its seat, as and for the purpose set forth.

43. an" having ata ered pen end and an opposite interiorly-t eade extremity, said arrel having an annular rib near itsthreaded extremity and longitudinal ooves 'extending e tapered portion t ereof and bisecting said rib, a plug comprising a mouth-piece havin a central air-passage adapted to screw into t e threaded end of said barrel, said plu ca ,a medicament wholly encompasse vbysaid barrel.

opposite vthe interiorly-threaded extremity of4 said barrel having Yan annular rib near its threade'dextrei'nity, and longitudinal grooves extending from the tapered portion thereof and bisectinsaid rib, a plug comprising a mouthieee centrallIy-enlarged threaded portion adapted to screw within said barrel, and an inner reduced portion comprising a spool adapted to receive absorbent material, and a plug, airpassaes leading from the circumference of said a sorbent material through said threaded portion to said central air-passage, said plug adapted to close said tapered portion of said barrel when said plug is at a seat, a cap or cover ada tedto fltover the tapered porsaid cap from abutting said tapered portion, substantially as and for the urpose set forth.

5. In an inhaler, in com ination a barrel or container having an interiorly-threaded `extremity and an opposite tapered open exaler, in combmationabarrel aving a central air-passage, a

vtion of .said arrel, said rib adapted to limit A- duced portion comprising;` a spool adapted to receive absorbent material, and a plug, airpassa es leading from the circumference of; said a sorbent material through said threaded portion -to said central air-passage, said plug adapted to close said tapered portion of said barrel-when said plug is at a seat within said barrel, a cap or cover adapted'to fit over said mouth-piece and slide upon said barrel against said rib when said inhaler is screwed shut to close said mouth-piece, and to Withdraw from said rib and from said blank por` the n ostril extremity, as and for the purpose described. Y

VICTOR E. RANDALL.

. Witnesses:

H. F. WINGATE, F. H. WINGATE. 

